2022 Summer Flounder Options and 4/7 Meeting

[Gerry Zagorski]

The NJMFC webinar/meeting is scheduled on Thursday 4/7 @ 5PM to decide on NJ Summer Flounder regulations and take public comments.

If you'd like to attend the webinar and make comments you need to register here https://register.gotowebinar.com/reg...98379829224715
The options up for comment are as follows and right now the preferred option from the council's perspective is option 1
1) May 21 - Sep 23.... 3 fish @ 17.5 or greater
2) May 2 - Sep 27 .... 2 slots between 17 and 17.99 and 1 over 18
3) May 27 - Oct 2 ..... 2 slots between 16.5 and 17.99 and 1 over 18
4) May 1 - Sep 30 ..... 3 fish @ 18 or greater
5) May 24 - Sep 10 .... 1 slot between 16.5 and 17.99 and 2 over 18

This document discusses the options in more detail and the reason the council choose 1 as the their preferred option. https://www.nj.gov/dep/fgw/pdf/2022/...port033122.pdf

I think the NJ Council and the staff at NJDEP did a great job working behind the scenes at the regional and federal level making a consideration for slots for the first time ever.

Feel free to comment here and take the poll above. I hope you all take the time to attend the webinar and make your opinions heard at the meeting.

[frugalfisherman]

I was the first to see this so I voted #4. One other vote so I guess Gerry you voted #3.

[Gerry Zagorski]

Originally Posted by frugalfisherman

I was the first to see this so I voted #4. One other vote so I guess Gerry you voted #3.

I'll keep my opinions to myself since they're based on my personal preferences, how and when I fish and I don't want to influence others opinions

[hartattack]

Link above not working

[Dclark2]

Mix would be hard on the party boats trying to enforce different size limits..

[Gerry Zagorski]

Originally Posted by hartattack

Link above not working

Thanks Larry links are fixed!

[frugalfisherman]

Originally Posted by Dclark2

Mix would be hard on the party boats trying to enforce different size limits..

It's not up to the party boat to "enforce" size limits. What's in your cooler is on you not them. Here's something else for you "slot" guys. Catch a "legal" 17 1/4 inch fluke on an Atlantic Highlands party boat first thing in the morning and by the time you get back to dock it could shrink to 16 and change. Oh!oh! it's ticket time. If you don't believe me try measuring some time. They shrink! An 18 inch fluke can be 17 if you keep it on ice in your cooler and go to fillet the next morning. Having said that if you want your two 17.00 to 17.99's you may have to catch 2 a little over 18 and do some fancy calculating. Like I've said before " Be careful what you ask for you just might get it"!!!!

[Luckyduck]

Very true I’ve noticed them shrinking about 3/8

[TwoDDs]

Originally Posted by Gerry Zagorski

The NJMFC webinar/meeting is scheduled on Thursday 4/7 @ 5PM to decide on NJ Summer Flounder regulations and take public comments.

If you'd like to attend the webinar and make comments you need to register here https://register.gotowebinar.com/reg...98379829224715
The options up for comment are as follows and right now the preferred option from the council's perspective is option 1
1) May 21 - Sep 23.... 3 fish @ 17.5 or greater
2) May 2 - Sep 27 .... 2 slots between 17 and 17.99 and 1 over 18
3) May 27 - Oct 2 ..... 2 slots between 16.5 and 17.99 and 1 over 18
4) May 1 - Sep 30 ..... 3 fish @ 18 or greater
5) May 24 - Sep 10 .... 1 slot between 16.5 and 17.99 and 2 over 18

This document discusses the options in more detail and the reason the council choose 1 as the their preferred option. https://www.nj.gov/dep/fgw/pdf/2022/...port033122.pdf

I think the NJ Council and the staff at NJDEP did a great job working behind the scenes at the regional and federal level making a consideration for slots for the first time ever.

Feel free to comment here and take the poll above. I hope you all take the time to attend the webinar and make your opinions heard at the meeting.

Seems odd, that we're offered 3@18" for 153 days and to get a single slot, we need to give up 43 days. But to get two slots, we only need to give up 24 days. That makes no sense.

Personally, I like Option 1.
Having .01 inches determining possession just seems ridiculous to me. The lines on my boat measure are thicker than that.

[Gerry Zagorski]

No option is perfect and is going to please everyone.. Some will trade a longer season for larger fish and others the opposite. Some want slots and others don't. Some strictly fish the ocean and typically catch larger fish while others fish the bay and get smaller fish. The good news is at least this year we have a lot of options, bad news is only one can be chosen.

The other wild card in this ongoing process is this year the theoretical science/MRIP numbers from last year which were low worked in our favor in the case of Summer Flounder. This allowed for some liberalization regardless of stock status and that allowed for more options but what about next year and the years after?

The process and data we use to manage the fisheries and set regulations needs to change and the reason we need recreational reform. To prove that point just look at Seabass ... A fishery that is totally rebuilt but because of last years theoretical high MRIP/landing assumptions, we're looking at a 20% reduction on a very healthy fishery... This could happen next year to Fluke if the process does not change.